Yesterday at the US Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study public scoping meeting in Traverse City I offered the following comments:
Inland Seas Education Association has a 22 year history of teaching students and the public about invasive species and "protecting the Great Lakes through education."
We must insure the values of the Great Lakes for our grandchildren, and out to the 7th generation and beyond. Action must consider the long term health of the Great Lakes.
• Ecological separation should be the goal of this project
• Include options to continue navigation using technology such as marine railways, boat lifts, powered dollies or other means already used in other regions. A hull & bilge washing system should be incorporated in such a system.
• Work to close human invasion pathways created by transport and sales of live Asian carp, including baitfish.
• Consider pushing back Asian carp from the area around the electric barrier, so the barrier is not the first impediment to entering the Great Lakes.
• Include education of the current problems and challenges to stopping Asian carp, and potential solutions. Develop a web-accessible time series visual model showing the hydrological functioning of the Chicago area waterways. Include stormwater, flood situations, lake level influences, navigation and sewage treatment.
- Tom Kelly, ISEA Executive Director
You can add your comments to the GLMRIS public record and learn more about this study by going to http://www.glmris.anl.gov/